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Big Ten Tournament bracket: IU plays Northwestern/Penn State winner Wednesday, Purdue possible Thursday

0a7j0Tm2_400x400 (1)by: Colin McMahon03/08/26ColinMcMahon31

Indiana’s path in the 2026 Big Ten Basketball Tournament is now official, with the bracket being released by the conference following the conclusion of the league’s regular season on Sunday afternoon.

The No. 10-seeded Hoosiers (18-13, 9-11 in B1G play) will begin action in the second round on Thursday, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. local time at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Facing Darian DeVries’ group will be the winner of No. 15 Northwestern (5-15) and No. 18 Penn State (3-17).

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IU hosted both the Wildcats and the Nittany Lions during the regular season, with a December win over Penn State featuring the Assembly Hall single-game scoring record of 44 points from Lamar Wilkerson. The Hoosiers didn’t have the same success against NU, as they lost a stunner back on Feb. 24 that might end up being a difference in making the NCAA Tournament.

Indiana likely needs at least two, possibly three wins in Chicago to get back into the at-large NCAA Tournament conversation.

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If the Hoosiers advance out of Thursday’s second-round contest, they’ll face No. 7 Purdue (13-7), who ended up falling out of the top six of the conference standings despite being the No. 1 team in the preseason AP Poll. This matchup would also take place at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT, played on Thursday.

Indiana and Purdue split their rivalry series this year, with both teams winning at their respective home arenas. IU won a close one in Bloomington, while the Boilers demolished the Hoosiers by 29 in West Lafayette.

If this matchup were to occur, it would be just the second time the two foes meet in the Big Ten Tournament, the other taking place in 1998 — the first-ever conference tournament for the B1G.

The winner of that third-round game would face No. 2 Nebraska (15-5), a team Indiana had on the ropes up by 16 but fell in dramatic fashion in the second half. Friday’s quarterfinal will be played at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT as well.

After that, the bracket enters the semifinals, with matchups being possible with a plethora of other programs. Saturday’s semis are scheduled for 12 and 2:30 p.m. ET, both on CBS. Sunday’s championship game will take place at 2:30 p.m. ET, also on CBS.

Indiana has advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament just seven times in the event’s 28-year history – only twice since 2014 – with just one final appearance ever (2001).

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Other notables from the tournament bracket include Michigan’s 19-1 conference record as the No. 1 seed, breaking the record for most Big Ten regular-season wins in a single season and the first time a team went undefeated on the road in B1G play since the 1975-76 Hoosiers.

Nebraska holds its highest-ever seed at No. 2, while No. 3 Michigan State and No. 4 Illinois round out the teams who receive double-byes all the way to the quarterfinals on Friday. Other first-year head coaches’ seeds include No. 9 Iowa with Ben McCollum, No. 11 Minnesota with Niko Medved and No. 17 Maryland with Buzz Williams.

The Hoosiers seek their first-ever Big Ten Tournament championship, hoping to follow in Curt Cignetti’s footsteps following Indiana football’s first-ever Big Ten Championship Game victory back in December.

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